BadNamePicker

This was our 2nd cruise, 1st with Carnival.  It started with, although being asked about our flight arrival time, not being told we would sit at the airport for 2 hrs waiting for the shuttle.  After almost getting into 3 wrecks on our way down from Houston, the boarding process was nothing short of chaotic.  Why do you have set boarding times only to make people sit like cattle for over an hour?!?

Once on board, the ship itself was not very clean, the windows were streaked so badly you could hardly see out and silverware had to be double checked for food stuck to it, repeatedly.

Also, leaving.  We did would rush back from our ports, to make sure we were boarded on time, only to sit and wait for a minimum of 2 hours.  Every port, starting with Galveston.

We also bought the drink package and were not informed that we would not be able to take advantage of it until the 2nd day of the cruise (even for a diet Coke!), nor were we informed Club Ocean wouldn't open until the 2nd day as well.  Knowing that up front would have been nice.

The ports were awesome and overall the staff was pleasant.  The rooms were what you would expect and the food was decent (I never ate at the buffet after the 1st morning due to the poor way it is set up).  

We will not use Carnival to cruise again.  For the money we paid, it was not worth it.

There were 6 of us cruising together, ranging from 8 to 60 and we all had a blast!  The Kid Zone was great for the 8 year old, Fuel was perfect for my teen.  My husband and I are not "clubbers", so we don't like dancing, strobe lights or lounge music, so this cruise was perfect for us (we're mid-30's).  The option was there, but could be avoided as needed.  My parents loved the scenery and abundance of coffee everywhere :-).  

The food was decent, but after a week, honestly, we were all tired of the offerings, which were basically the same at the buffet every day.  For an Alaskan cruise, I would have wanted seafood of any kind.  There was none, except for a baked fish dish at dinner.  The bartenders were phenomenal. Their service, their drink preparation, their pleasant attitudes really helped to enhance the cruise experience for those of us who like to have a few cocktails.

One downfall was the location of the support bars on the windows in the enclosed areas of the ship.  Regardless of what chair you sat in, that bar was ALWAYS right at eye level, so you had to hunch over or sit straight up to see outside.   For our next cruise, I will pay the extra money for a balcony room, so we can sit and look at our leisure without having to stand or kill our backs trying to look around that dumb bar.

We didn't do any excursions, but I will say Tracy Arm Fjord is GORGEOUS!  One of the most breathtaking places I've ever been.  Overall, I would highly recommend this cruise if you are not a party person and like a quiet, more laid back experience.  From what we've been told, if you want to party the night away, go to the Caribbean on Carnival and party away!